In general, this invention relates to a method for implementing a player configurable video gaming machine and in particular, to a menu driven player configurable video gaming machine that allows a player to make cosmetic and substantive chances to a video game while maintaining pre-set gaming machine pay tables.
Video gaming machines have become an integral part of the gaming industry. Typically, a gaming establishment offers players a wide variety of video gaming machines having different gaming configurations, game themes and game features. For example, to increase player excitement, some prior art video gaming machines increase the number of typical potential winning combinations to produce a larger frequency of lower winning amounts. Other prior art gaming machines offer fewer potential winning combinations while providing higher winning amounts for the player who is willing to wait for a bigger win. These configurations are then implemented in a variety of game themes and with a variety of features such as multiple pay lines or bonus games.
As often occurs in gaming establishments, players develop a preference for a particular configuration of gaming machines, game themes, and game features. However, the prior art video gaming machines implementing the combination of configuration, themes and features typically limited these settings in which they are pre-set. Thus to satisfy multiple requests for popular and/or different user requests, a gaming establishment must offer the players multiple gaming machines implementing a variety of configuration combinations.
As player interest changes, gaming establishments must consistently survey player usage and change the mix of video gaming machines as game theme and configuration preferences increase or decrease. Furthermore, player preference may also change during a gaming session. For example, in the prior art, a player wishing to continue gaming with a particular game theme, but wishing to change the configuration such as increasing the bet denomination or winning amounts, would have to seek a new video gaming machine. Often, if the other gaming machine is not easily accessible, the player may lose interest and discontinue gaming.
Some prior art gaming machines have attempted to incorporate partial user modification to the game. One such prior art method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,424 to Alfred Wilms entitled VIDEO GAMING DEVICE UTILIZING PLAYER-ACTIVATED VARIABLE BETTING. The Wilms patent discloses a video card gaming machine in which a player is allowed to insert different denomination coins into the machine to vary the wager and simulate table gaming. However, the Wilms patent does not disclose allowing a player to adjust multiple configurations within the video card gaming machine, and is limited to allowing the player to vary only the wager amount. Thus, the Wilms patent does not resolve the issue of varying the configuration of other non-card based video games to satisfy user demand.
It is therefore desirable to provide a gaming machine in which a player may configure a video gaming machine by inputting one or more game configurations.